A simple build that I am incredibly proud of, which is often called “the missing middle.” Eight units on a 6,000 sqft parcel would have historically been one or two homes if redeveloped. I’m proud because the secondary suites have housed students, new immigrants and refugees, to
What appears to be a duplex is an 8plex. From a public realm contextual street interface, you would never be able to tell. What traditionally is a single-family home and could have been a duplex now allows for four three-bed houses and four one-bedroom houses. This can’t happen
One of the coolest parts of being a developer is getting to see people use the spaces you get to help create. It inspires me and pushes me to keep going without a doubt.
Seven years ago, we built our first mixed-use building. We had secured
@remax
as the entire ground floor tenant. We had zoning in hand to do so and the OTL in place. However, it felt odd. To drop this in the middle of an established neighbourhood that brought some office space
When four single-family homes become 20, this courtyard development shows how middle housing can also scale and still be contextually sensitive in established neighbourhoods. Lots of lessons, and one day I’ll write a 🧵 but for now, I love walking by seeing kids wheeling up and
We did a small-scale two-storey commercial building on a 100x120 feet laneless site. Cities need to allow these as modern-day bodegas in all neighbourhoods. The shops and active urban spaces can transform communities. Definitely did here. It’s the modern-day strip mall!
What was 2 single family homes is becoming (🤞🏽 ) 16 homes (12 three bedrooms and 4 one bedrooms) and a 1300 sqft commercial retail use! Middle housing can bring back small-scale opex-friendly commercial retail uses. 🙏🏾
This is middle housing. Four townhomes on what was traditionally a single-family home. Contextually sensitive, retained canopy and urban interface that speaks to both street and avenue!
#missingmiddlehousing
What used to be two homes is now a neighbourhood and Calgary gem. “The modern-day strip mall” is one of the coolest city building projects we delivered. A 2-storey commercial building with ice cream, coffee and pizza(+public art!). This could happen on any residential corner!
One day I’ll host a ask me anything about this project. But the wounds are still too deep. Too often, the projects that win the most awards are the ones that should never have been built to begin with. For now enjoy the photos and don’t build a sloped roof top garden for 20 units
Seven years ago, with
@cityofcalgary
collaboration in zoning reform, we built the first rc-g townhomes with four units on a 6,000 sqft lot. This is where our missing middle journey began, and we unlocked a housing form that has been vastly underserved for decades. Traditionally
This is not a duplex. It’s a 4plex. Mid block and all connected. Structure is essentially a square with 4 garage units detached off the lane. This fits in every community every where!
#gentledensity
#missingmiddle
I started my career in real estate as an 18-year-old realtor. When I met my wife, she changed my world and taught me how to apply my creativity and innovation to real estate and building. This was the first project we did as a team (she’s a brilliant architect and visionary as
We put 7 townhomes with rooftop patios on 8,500 sqft. We used the garage to add an extra unit on top. It was technically a duplex and 5 towns, making 7 units with a communal green space in the back. More forums to explore gentle density can yield better outcomes. Let’s not get
Here is another excellent example of middle housing with small retail commercial. Mixed-use is essential when thinking about complete communities. Bring back the bodegas!
Originally 3 single family homes = 28 new homes with 14 3 bedroom units! I love the way the kitchen turned out, and to no surprise, we have a waitlist building for the first ten units set to deliver on Sep 1/23.
Our team is committed to the missing middle. We believe it is the path to accessible, inclusive and sustainable growth in our established neighbourhoods. What was 1 older home and could only be 2 homes is now 8. 4 townhomes and 4 basement suites. Let’s keep leading
#yyc
We need housing supply. Middle housing is about creating housing diversity in form. It’s not equitable or sustainable to preserve single-family density within our established communities or zone everything to mid-rise developments. The missing middle is sensitive, gentle density.
The Tilley Rowhouses by Michael Hsu is one of my all-time favourites. It’s the focus on simplicity that delivers so well. I hope one day, we can move away from conversations around parking and density and focus on better outcomes for urban design, affordability and accessibility.
I started reading a bunch on
#retwit
and
#re
in 2020. I’ve learned a ton on this forum and connected with folks across North America, sharing stories and experiences. My passion is redevelopment, complex sites and missing middle! Stoked on 22. Below is my first rowhouse.
It fits in with its existing content. Although it appears to be a duplex, it’s a fourplex. A very conducive form that fits in nicely on any mid-block established neighbourhood with a rear lane. 2 in the front and 2 in the back.
#thistheway
#missingmiddlehousing
Let this sink in. We posted five townhomes and five basement suites roughly six weeks out for completion. We’ve had over 100 inquiries and are fully leased up. We desperately need more housing, both market and non! We need to work together if this problem is ever going to be
And if you're wondering why I haven’t posted any new missing middle, rowhouse/townhome projects, they take a very long time (to get approved) 😢. But here is one of my favorite’s and plenty in the pipeline!!!
I’m excited. We got approval to build 14 townhomes and 14 secondary suites. It took 2 years, I want to start a thread. But we moving forward not backwards.
#goodthingstaketime
If we could do one super easy task in Calgary, it would be to remove front yard setbacks in established neighbourhoods. No more extensive setbacks, please. They do nothing for us, and we don’t need any more front lawns
I absolutely love this project. Simple, clean, no wedding cake and no ridiculous step backs or articulations. When we keep our structural forms simple we can invest in better facades. Anyone know who did this project?
One of my favourite rowhouses which turned the corner. Two homes facing the street and two homes facing the avenue. The trade-off was the front corner unit did not have a backyard but a massive front yard.
#yyc
#missingmiddle
#infill
#rowhouses
One of these is permitted and heralded as the hero. One of them is not and portrayed as the villain. Full disclosure our firm put out both and one of them we stopped doing 10 years ago.
I tried to follow Dan, but it’s pending. This take is money. Pun intended. The 15-minute city doesn’t deliver if it is not inclusive. Complete communities serve citizens of all stages, ages and wages.
How many units do you think are in this gentle density project? Why does a “unit count” matter? My feelings are that they don’t. What matters is how we provide more diverse housing and access at different prices while reinvesting in our existing communities!
Another low-density row house we did that faced significant opposition. How will we ever develop our established neighbourhoods when it’s this difficult to go from what could have been 2 units to get to 4 or 8 units. It often feels nothing but the status quo is acceptable.
4 years ago we had a vision. Probably one that was beyond us, to be honest. We made a ton of mistakes. Some days I wasn’t sure how we’d get through it. But we did it and last night was special. It was incredible to see the community and people use this space
This is the first single-family home we built almost ten years ago on a 35’ inner city lot. I love and still love everything about this project except that I felt I needed to do more. I know this model works for so many, but as a kid, I wanted to make a meaningful positive impact
This is a 13 unit missing middle development. We completed in the dead of winter and had a ton of pre-lease demand. Rather than staging the units, we took photos and got an illustrator to add some life!
The future of housing! I’m taken aback by how far modular has come, but also that these folks can produce gentle, low-density homes in 21 days that are more sustainable and better quality than traditional onsite construction. Best of all, it’s happening right here in Alberta!!
BREAKING: Toronto Council has voted to eliminate parking minimums city-wide for new buildings, replacing them with new parking maximums. As chief planner
@GreggLintern
notes, Toronto becomes one of the largest North American cities to do so. Very important step for a better city.
I’ve worked at almost every scale of established area redevelopment. But love smaller scale infill. No project I’ve ever been a part of has transformed or activated a community like the General Block in Bridgeland,
#yyc
. 3rd spaces (ice cream, coffee and pizza, if I’m being
When they tell you they want a duplex… say sure, but two! We did two duplexes on a 6,000 sqft lot. The middle delivers a range of housing typologies and can’t wait to see its continue evolvement. Bring on the single loaded stairs 🙏🏾
Another excellent example of 2 single-family homes becoming 18 homes in a courtyard split style in
#yyc
by Oldstreet Development and Faas Architecture. Our city continues to design and build some of the best examples of Middle Housing across North America!
#middlehousing
With zoning reform in middle housing comes evolutions in design as well. Rather than designing a typical row facing one street, we worked with our architect to create a mass that turned the corner. Two units face the street, and two units face the avenue. Again what typically was
I made a mistake this past week, and I’m embarrassed. My daughter's school has been sending pit emails and clearly stating their position regarding a development proposal. I decided I didn’t want to be the odd parent out and potentially have that somehow impact my kid, so I said
We developed this back in 2017. We took the brand new rc-g district and combined two lots for a total size of 12,000 sqft. It was the first to combine lots under the district and had some challenges. Stormwater retention and the requirement for all the buildings to be connected
Another solution to bring four homes on a less conventional footprint. 43x141 feet. Taking advantage of the depth on a lot that would have been two very deep semi-detached infills into four row-houses. Cedar💧 detail 🔥.
#rowhouses
#yyc
#missingmiddle
Yes, this is expensive. Yes, it’s pretty large. Yes, this is stunning. But in most places, this is not allowed as of right and still requires a cumbersome process that only makes it more expensive. Middle housing is diverse. It offers housing diversity. It’s not a silver bullet
Here is a 10x missing middle example by our team. 5 homes becomes 52 homes. Looking forward to more
#missingmiddle
#gentledensity
and complete communities for 2024
One time in 2012, I flew to Ottawa in search of barn wood. The barns out east were made of stronger wood species and did well when reclaimed. I ended up purchasing palettes of reclaimed wood for flooring as well. Below the results.
I feel like we move too fast. We try to push innovation rather than building a proven process. We compete with ourselves almost to do better each time to our detriment. I love going back to our old stuff and reflecting on what worked. Our first townhouse is one of my favorites
What was originally a single-family home similar to what is on either side now can serve 28 new residents with 8 homes. 4/3bd & 4/1bds. Current bylaws and building codes do not allow for at-grade accessibility, but it’s what we are advocating for a lot. Aging in place is critical
Next time, they tell you the courtyards are too tight. Show them this…. (2.5 meters). What formally stood was a single-family home transformed into five townhomes and five secondary suites.
This was the first row house built and designed by
@rndsqr_
under a new district that unlocked a generational change of missing middle housing in
#yyc
. It was my first multi-family project and helped identify a passion for city building that I didn’t even know I had.
28 missing middle units well underway on what used to be just 3 single-family homes. However, it took a grueling two years to get this project approved, and this uncertainty makes delivering this much-needed gentle density at scale incredibly challenging. Sadly, most of the
How it started. How it’s going.
206 residential units.
Heritage restoration and conversion to residential apartments.
6,000 sqft of commercial retail use.
Hi, I’m Alkarim. If you follow me, it's probably because you love design and missing middle. I’m here to tell you, put people first. This includes communities and those who sometimes don’t agree with your perspectives. People, urban and quality spaces > Architecture.
A recent project approved shows how middle house can also incorporate small-scale commercial so desperately needed in many of our communities and fully accessible units at grade. This project is not ours, but I’m glad to see this outcome.
#gentledensity
#middlehousing
I love hearing folks in the community who initially feared a project change their perspectives and opinions once it is complete and neighbours move in. It changes the dynamics entirely. This 20-unit townhome, in my mind, was a great example where many felt that it would be out of
Row homes on corner lots mark the beginning of middle housing in
#yyc
. Despite debates over the extent of change, the city recognized the advantages and overwhelming demand. They continue to embarked on an impressive iterative process, resulting in incredible outcomes of top-tier
This project is another excellent example of how missing middle does a better job at articulating both streets! These types of projects add more housing diversity and access to our established neighbourhoods.
#missingmiddle
#thisistheway
Our duplexes eventually grew to three stories. The screw walls became a staple, and the way we applied it to the skylight was a fun, simple and affordable detail. When the sun comes through, it is 👌🏽 (just don’t put it in a bedroom)
I finally got to check out our Winnipeg project in person. So excited about the heritage restoration, adding 212 residential units and creating some at grade commercial retail use on waterfront drive.
My first 🧵
1. One of my favourite projects. We completed this building almost seven years ago. We returned to the ground floor tenant who had a lease on the entire main floor (Remax office) and requested 400 sqft back for a coffee shop. Strong tenant not a “business move”
We’ve explored many forms of middle housing. Midblock had always been the most challenging (Building between two existing old single-family homes). This was just shy of a 12,000 sqft lot. It also had no secondary suites, and we proposed building the rear units on top of the
This is not a single-family home. It’s a pre-approved 4 unit fast-track design! The design was created by Sndbox, and I love how it looks like any other single-family home from the street. You can learn more about the fast-track program that we helped launch below!
Excited to
This is another 1.5 year application for 8 units on a single lot 5,600 sqft parcel on a corridor(Kensington Rd
#yyc
) and still no approval. We are in yes. Another appeal. Concerns from a neighbour 4 lanes away about these balconies looking into…… her backyard 😔
We added an addition and new patio to accommodate what has become a neighbourhood gem. Here are some interior snaps of the
@remax
office and cafe. Our in-house team designed both. If you're in the hood. Stop by! Coffee on me.
A modern-day version of the 2 flat stacks. Currently, we sink a living space sub-grade because of bylaw constraints. The next iteration will put flats at grade and 2 stories above. This is 4 townhomes and 4 flats. Flats are sub 500 sqft
Face slapping prep worked tonight. Council unanimously supported our proposal(
@JeromyYYC
doesn't count ). I can’t wait to get this one started!!!
#yyccc
learn more here.
I am so proud of how far our city has come. It was clear that we have become leaders in middle housing, and as we have taken a massive step to end exclusionary zoning, I’m excited for projects like this. Townhomes, one-bedroom units, courtyards and commercial corner store! This
And some new middle housing. I love how established communities continue to evolve. Killarney has some incredible examples of that evolution!
#missingmiddlehousing
The
#Uk
has to be close on the list for goat
#missingmiddle
. I love these projects by
#peterbarberarchitcture
. I always wonder how brick is used everywhere in the UK and wish we could use it more, but it’s so expensive. For now, I’ll continue to use these amazing projects as
Missing middle housing is deeply tied to our aging population. Boomers own a significant portion of the existing housing that can unlock this potential. If they don’t feel included or supported, it will never scale. Need to find strategies that help with aging in community!
A
Our middle journey started here and in
#yyc
🇨🇦 , with this being the first application under a brand new middle housing policy. Almost ten years ago. I’m proud of our city and how many homes our pioneering and innovation have helped cultivate. “Alone, you go fast; together, you
Middle housing won’t solve the housing crisis. There is no silver bullet. It will, however, transform neighbourhoods and create housing diversity in amenity-rich communities. As their form evolves, it will also give us a place for our elderly to have a chance to age in place.
3 row houses+3 secondary suites+3 on-site parking stalls = access, affordability and more diverse housing options for all. This was our very first project with secondary suites on an odd lot size. 40 feet of frontage but 140 feet deep.
Drove by these the other day. I always forget about these infills we did in Ramsay. Super impressed with how well the cedar shakes on a south-facing frontage are holding up. This was roughly 5 years ago.
Another project of ours did a great job interacting with the avenue and street. The single corner unit has a front yard instead of a backyard which helps further connections to the community and nearby cyclists on the bike lane. Let’s focus our conversations on design and scale
One of the last for sale 4-plex’s (technically two duplexes) on a 6,000 sqft lot hits the market this week. Still one of my favorites. If your in
#yyc
keep your eyes out for it!
This year we got an entitlement to take 3 residential units to make way for 28 units. 14 townhomes and 14 basement suites in a cottage cluster. Looking forward to breaking ground on this project next month! Shown here is the first of 3 phases.